ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Forma Urbis Romae

Forma Urbis Romae is a Latin term that means "map of Rome". It is a big map that shows all the streets, buildings, monuments, and other important things in ancient Rome. Imagine if you drew a map of your city or town, but it was super big and included everything you can see. That's what the Forma Urbis Romae is like.

Now, ancient Romans didn't have the technology we have today, like Google Maps or GPS to make their maps. So, they carved the Forma Urbis Romae in stone! They used chisels and hammers to make the map on a big slab of marble. It was so big that they had to cut it into 150 pieces and put them together like a puzzle. It was about 60 feet tall and 45 feet wide!

The map wasn't just for people to look at, but it was also used to plan the city of Rome. The government officials would use the map to decide where to build new buildings or roads. They could see which areas were too crowded and needed more space or which areas were empty and needed to be used.

The Forma Urbis Romae was also used to help people find their way around the city. People would use the map to navigate through the streets and find their destinations. Imagine using a big map instead of your phone to find your way around!

Today, the Forma Urbis Romae is no longer complete. Many pieces of the map have been lost or destroyed over time. But, you can still see some parts of it in museums around the world. It is an important piece of history because it shows us how the ancient Romans lived and how they built their city.